Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-10-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Oct. II, 1887.


WASHINGTON, Oct. II, 1887.
There is a strong probability that
the President on his return will call
an extra session of Congress. His
trip to the great West has given
him enlarged ideas of the grandeur
and magnitude of the country over
which he providentialIy presid es.
II he had taken that trip years ago,
he would have been "A wiser mar, and
the country would have been saved
a vast amount Of financial trouble
and anxiety. There IS time yet for
him to atone for the neglect of his
education of earlier years, and If he
returns with the thought that the
Presidency Off great Nation means
something more than mere political
chicanery, the time and expense of
his trip will be of small account.
The evidence is thoroughly con.
elusive that the President had his
speeches prepared in advance, print
ed at the Government Printing
Office, and took them away in sheets
ready to be discharged at the vari-
GUS cities he intended to visit. The
proof is abundant and Mr.. Cleve-
land must face it.
The Government Printing Office
is the regular bee hive of Washing
ton. 1t is the largest printing es-
tablishment in the worldAbeing
300 feet long, $50 feet wide, and
stories high. All the public dOcu-
ments are printed here, and all the
modern inventions to facilitate
rapid work, are here in use. There
are about 1900 employed in the
building, and the volumes issued
each year reach thousands OF tons
in weight and millions Of copies
1t is a great treat to visit the es.
tablishment.
At the National Observatory
they have a wonderful instrument
known as the "Great Equatorial
Telescope which weighs 10000 |
pounds. A sight through that,
some clear moonlight evening, is
worth trip to Washington. Truly |
"the Heavens declare the glory of |
God, and the armament sheweth |
his handiwork." The observatory |
is under the direction of the Navy |
Department, and ranks with the |
foremost in the world. It's library |
is very large and choice, and is a
great resort for the thoughtful and |
studious.
Some of the foreign diplomats at |
Washington are exceedingly well |
paid by their respective Govern.
ments, some being double and tire.
BILE what we pay our Minister'S
The British Minister gets $4,000 a
year, and is allowed 100000 a year
fer entertaining; the German Min
ster gets 100000, the japanese
$50, 900, the Chinese $50, 900, and
s allowed $1,000 for house rent.
The Turkish $4,000, Russian $780,.
100, and French 100000. The Chi
lese Minister is said to be worth
$4,000, 600, and is regarded as the
Iblest and shrewdest of all the for
ign diplomats.
There are about $4,000 clerks EN-.
'lOyed in the departments at Wash
ngton, about 1000 of this number
icing females, the great majority of
whom are finely educated and most
stimable ladies. Many of them
re the widows or daughters of
Ioted Generals, ex-Congressmen,
X.Cabinet Ministers, etc, and many
{ them marry noted men. There
:, no doubt, quite number of
cry questionable characters in this
asst aggregate, but the majority Of |
he lady clerks will rank with the
est women of the land.
The dead-letter Office reveals
ONE interesting facts that should
ause us to be a little more careful
! our correspondence. During the
asst year, 100000 letters we're
sceived there, making an average
{ $4,000 for every working day.
early four million of these letters /,
ere never called for at the post !
lices to which they were directed,
nd 10000 of them were sent TO {
Otels and reached there after the !
nests for whom they were intend :
l, had left. A great many of the
,tters were instructed. Fully G
900 of this kind came to the Of
ce every day. Many of the letters c
)ntain money and last year there :
as $4,000 in cash among them {
nd more than 81 800, 900 drafts and
oney orders. Eighty four thou. !
md letters contained postage !
amps, $4,000 photographs, and